EMBELLISHMENTS. 
389 
thing like a highly kept place in this country, the want of this, 
which is indeed like the last finish to the residence, is scarce- 
ly felt at all. But this only proves the infant state of Land- 
scape Gardening here, and the little attention that has been 
paid to the highest details of the art. 
If our readers will imagine, with us, a pretty villa, con- 
veniently arranged and well constructed, in short, complete 
in itself as regards its architecture, and at the same time, 
properly placed in a smooth well kept lawn, studded with 
groups, and masses of fine trees, they will have an example of- 
ten to be met with, of a fine place, in the graceful school of 
design, about which, however, there is felt to be a certain 
incongruity between the house, a highly artificial object, and 
the surrounding grounds, where the prevailing expression in 
the latter is that of beautiful nature. 
Let us suppose, for further illustration, the same house 
and grounds with a few additions. The house now rising 
directly out of the green turf which encompasses it, we will 
surround by a raised platform or terrace, wide enough for a 
dry, firm walk, at all seasons ; on the top of the wall or bor- 
der of this terrace, we will form a handsome parapet , or 
balustrade, some two or three feet high, the details of which 
shall be in good keeping with the house, whether Grecian 
or Gothic. On the coping of this parapet, if the house is in 
the classical style, we will find suitable places, at proper inter- 
vals, for some handsome urns, vases, etc. On the drawing- 
room side of the house, that is, the side toward which the 
best room or rooms look, we will place the flower-garden, 
into which we descend from the terrace by a few steps. 
This flower-garden may be simply what its name denotes, 
a place exclusively devoted to the cultivation of flowers, or 
(if the house is not in a very plain style, admitting of little 
